1.27 ASN Justification Approval Template - 4-30-26 Redacted.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY

NAVSUP FLEET LOGISTICS CENTER NORFOLK

1968 GILBERT STREET SUITE 600

NORFOLK VA 23511-3392

J&A No. 26-136

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

FOR USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

1. Contracting Activity.

This justification is executed by both the requiring activity Naval Medical Research Unit - Dayton (NAMRU-D), Wright-Patterson AFB, OH and the contracting activity is NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center (FLC) Norfolk, Contracting Dept BUMED/FM&C Directorate. On behalf of the Navy to meet Navy Expeditionary Medical Research requirements.

2. Description of the Action Being Approved.

This is a sole source action to be awarded as a new contract to the OEM (Environmental Tectonics Corporation [ETC]), Southampton, PA). This procurement action supports the provision of critical life cycle upgrade for service life extension of the Disorientation Research Device (DRD), Navy Medicine’s most unique and expensive research system. The DRD must be 100% available and function perfectly to operate and ultimately collect data for this world-class research capability. The technical expertise to provide OEM level support to NAMRL engineering staff can only be provided by ETC. This support service purchase will provide design, engineering and on-site upgrades necessary to ensure the continuity of the DRD.

3. Description of Supplies/Services.

The Kraken is a bespoke and complex motion platform designed to support advanced aerospace medical research objectives unique to the Department of War and other agency partners, built by Environmental Tectonics Corporation, or vendor. Due to its unprecedented performance requirements and one-of-a-kind nature, the system underwent an extended design, development, integration, and validation period. Key program milestones are contract award: January 2009 and final commissioning / operational activation by December 2016. While the system has been commissioned and in operation for nearly 10 years, most of its core subsystems, components, and architectural decisions were finalized much earlier in the program lifecycle.

Critical updates to the distributed I/O system, moving from Interbus (industry obsolete) to EtherCAT (industry standard) for the Disorientation Research Device (DRD, Model # 102985) located at Naval Medical Research Unit Dayton, WPAFB Ohio. This work will mitigate the risk due to a number of critical Interbus components no longer manufactured or supported, thus modernizing the field bus network controlling motion, monitoring interlocks and other critical communication pathways for the DRD, otherwise known as the Kraken.

This action should be completed as soon as possible due to the extensive time to implement all the changes and the unstable nature of the existing system.

Source Selection Information – See FAR 2.101 and 3.104

The resultant contract will be funded with FY26 Navy Operations & Maintenance (O&MN) appropriations.

4. Statutory Authority Permitting Other Than Full and Open Competition.

The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is 10 U.S.C. 3204(a)(1) -the supplies or services needed by the agency are available from only one responsible source and no other type of supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements, as implemented by FAR 6.103-1.

5. Rationale Justifying Use of Cited Statutory Authority.

All activities associated with control software maintenance and upgrade of the DRD have been through and must remain with the OEM, ETC due to the uniqueness and proprietary nature of the system and its components. Subsystem vendors are used as applicable to provide components, but the design, installation, test and certification cannot be accomplished by any other entity, legally or otherwise without great risk to the government. No other vendors were contacted due to ETC’s proprietary design and protected nature of their system source code, drawings and technical documentation, which is extensive.

6. Description of Efforts Made to Solicit Offers from as Many Offerors as Practicable.

Market research was performed, the results of which are in paragraph 8. This requirement will be posted to the government point of entry.

7. Determination of Fair and Reasonable Cost. The Contracting Officer has determined that the anticipated cost to the Government of the supplies/services covered by this J&A will be fair and reasonable.

8. Actions to Remove Barriers to Future Competition.

For the reasons set forth in Paragraph 5, NAMRU-D has no plans at this time to compete future contacts for the types of supplies/services covered by this document. If another potential source emerges, NAMRU-D will assess whether competition for future requirements is feasible.

The Kraken is a bespoke and complex motion platform designed to support advanced aerospace medical research objectives unique to the Department of War and other agency partners, built by Environmental Tectonics Corporation, or vendor. Due to its unprecedented performance requirements and one-of-a-kind nature, the system underwent an extended design, development, integration, and validation period. Key program milestones are contract award: January 2009 and final commissioning / operational activation by December 2016. The source code, concept of operations and expertise to understand, manage and upgrade this proprietary system rests solely with the OEM, vendor.

All activities associated with software and source code maintenance and upgrade of the DRD have been through the OEM. Subsystem vendors are used as applicable for hardware, but the design, installation, integration test and certification cannot be accomplished by any other entity, legally or otherwise without great risk to the government. No other prime vendors were contacted.

J&A No. 26-136

CERTIFICATIONS AND APPROVAL

TECHNICAL/REQUIREMENTS CERTIFICATION

I certify that the facts and representations under my cognizance which are included in this Justification and its supporting acquisition planning documents, except as noted herein, are complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Technical Cognizance:

_____________________________ __Richard Folga_____________ _937-938-3896 01 May 26 Signature Name (Printed) Phone No. Date

Requirements Cognizance:

_____________________________ __Richard Arnold___________ __937-938-3877 _01 May 26 Signature Name (Printed) Phone No. Date

LEGAL SUFFICIENCY REVIEW

I have determined this Justification is legally sufficient.

Signature Name (Printed) Phone No. Date

CONTRACTING OFFICER CERTIFICATION

I certify that this Justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. To the extent that the Justification value is > SAT and < $10M, the Contracting Officer’s signature below also represents approval of the Justification.

Signature Name (Printed) Phone No. Date